Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2115134/hong-kong-tennis-open-disarray-defending-champion-wozniacki-pulls
Sport/ Hong Kong

Hong Kong Tennis Open in disarray as defending champion Wozniacki pulls out moments before second round match

Tournament thrown into disarray after yet another high-profile withdrawal

Caroline Wozniacki joined a long list of withdrawals at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua

Tournament organisers at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open were left scratching their heads wondering what they had done to deserve their luck on Thursday as the event was thrown into disarray after a second major withdrawal in five hours.

Caroline Wozniacki, the defending champion and the biggest name left in an already decimated field, pulled out moments before she was set to take the court for her second round clash with Australia’s Lizette Cabrera.

The withdrawal came on the same day that the top seed in Hong Kong, Elina Svitolina, was forced to pull out minutes before her own last 32 match earlier in the day with a leg injury.

An almost-full centre court, anticipating seeing the world number six in action, were left wondering what was happening as an initial 10-minute delay was announced, before the 27-year-old emerged onto the court to pose for a series of selfies and threw autographed tennis balls into the crowd.

She then gave a brief statement in which she thanked the crowd for their support and said she had done everything she could to play.

It was later revealed by organisers that Wozniacki was suffering with a left elbow injury.

Wozniacki is due to appear at the lucrative WTA Finals in Singapore later this month. That event consists of the top eight players in the world by ranking and boasts a mega prize pot of US$7 million.

Organisers moved quickly to bring forward the doubles match between the Canadian/American duo of Eugenie Bouchard and Shelby Rogers against the lauded Taiwanese Chan sisters.